In the Strands of Time
by away2sanity
Summary: Songfic and One Shot. As time slips away from Tori, her feelings for a certain ranger do as well and turn to a person whom she would never have fathomed.
1. Slipping Away

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own the Power Rangers or the song in this story._

**"New American Classic" – Taking Back Sunday**

_"We've got to get better," I said, "It's all in your head."  
We could live through these letters or forget it all together_

Tori Hanson shifted her gaze from the textbook before her to rest on Blake Bradley's most recent letter. As hard as it was to admit, responding as frequently as she used to was getting more and more difficult. The water ninja's life was moving rapidly, and she was just barely keeping pace. Between teaching at the Wind Ninja Academy and classes at Blue Bay Harbor, time was harder to find than matching socks.

Tearing her thoughts away from her life, Tori reread the navy thunder ranger's latest adventure, forming the images in her head of the sights Blake was seeing while on tour with Factory Blue.

"…We've landed in Sweden today. From what I hear, they have awesome meatballs…or is that Italy? Anyway, the race is scheduled in two days so that gives me time to tour the city. The Swedish team is supposed to have this really great rider. I mean, **really** great. His name's Jan Holmgren or something like that. I'm not intimidated. I think… Hope all's well in Blue Bay, and send Hunter my love."

Always,

Blake

The water ranger sighed; time wasn't the only thing that was slipping away. Her feelings for Blake were as well. The place he held in her heart was slowly being vacated and occupied by someone else. Someone Tori never would have fathomed to.

_See the months they don't matter _

_It's the days I can't take  
When the hours move to minutes and I'm seconds away…_

Tori sealed the letter. This was it. She couldn't deny it any longer. Her heart belonged to someone else, and her feelings for the navy ranger weren't what they were. Maybe it was her; perhaps it was him. Whatever the reason was irrelevant as of now. In this time of indecision where her life was heading, Tori was actually sure of one thing: her feelings for a certain ranger.

The surfer smiled to herself as she reminisced on the happier times when her and Blake were together; there were so many. In the first few days ensuing after he left to resume touring with Factory Blue, following the team-up with the Dino rangers, the days inched along at the speed of Dustin's brain. Tori had missed Blake terribly, and every moment without him fell across her back like a burden. The only comfort the water ranger took was the fact that another person shared her misery.

_**"Hey." Tori turned towards the source of the softly whispered greeting to find Hunter Bradley leaning against the doorway of her office at the Wind Ninja Academy, his brilliant blue eyes cloudy with suppressed emotion. Tori frowned slightly at the Thunder ninja's disheveled appearance, his unkempt dirty-blonde hair tousled more severe than usual and his shoulders, normally straightened in confidence slumped.**_

_**"Hey, yourself." The surfer bit back a joke of the Thunder sensei being at the wrong academy, noting Hunter's despondent disposition. Motioning the dirty-blonde haired man in, she settled alongside him on the couch rested against the wall of her office. She turned concerned eyes towards Hunter.**_

_**"What's up?"**_

_**The biker lifted his gaze, and Tori's eyes widened at the vulnerable look adorning his usually poised features. "I…" Hunter's voice broke as he swallowed hard.**_

_**"I really miss him." Hunter's strongly erected wall of guarded emotions crumbled as the helpless tears flowed down his cheeks. Tori drew the crimson ranger to her, alarmed at the torrent of passion flooded out of the notoriously reclusive ranger.**_

_**"He was the only family I had, and now, I'm alone. I used to take care of him. Now that he's gone, what's my purpose?" Deep sobs wracked the older Bradley brother as he clung to Tori as if she was his last link to life, and she felt her own eyes tear with loneliness.**_

_**"You guys are the only family I have now." As the tears flowed between the two rangers, their arms wrapped around each other, a deeper bond began to forge its chains, welded together by the mutual emptiness without Blake.**_

_Just ask the question come untie the knot  
Say you won't care, say you won't care  
Retrace the steps as if we forgot  
Say you won't care, say you won't care  
Try to avoid it but there's not a doubt  
And there's one thing I can do nothing about._

When all that we need is just a reaction  
It's too much to ask for when there's no attraction anymore  
If chasing our dreams is just a distraction  
I want to remember but I know that I can't go back

Tori closed the mailbox, sending the letter, along with her feelings about Blake to Factory Blue. The point of no return had just slid down a chute to rest with other letters. Tori felt…satisfied, as if the heavy burden that had rested on her shoulders for so long had just changed to a gift as a compensation for carrying it. She had a lingering feeling that a breakup with the navy thunder ranger was inevitable. He was off chasing a dream, increasing the distance between them, and loosening their knots of love that had held so tightly together during their time as rangers. To stay together would just lead to unneeded problems, and Tori felt this was for the best.

The water ranger looked out into the ocean as the wind ruffled her hair. As she breathed in the sharp scent of the Pacific Ocean, Tori thought back to relive the moment when a certain Bradley had stolen away her heart.

_**"Tori! Tori! Come with me, I have something to show you." The surfer could only follow bewildered as the Thunder ninja pulled her out of Storm Chargers.**_

_**"Hunter, where the hell are we going?" The crimson ranger's face was aglow with excitement Tori hadn't seen since he heard Blake and himself had been offered sponsorships with Factory Blue.**_

_**"Here!" Hunter spread his arms wide. Tori's brow furrowed in confusion.**_

_**"The beach? Hunter, no offense, but I've been aware we have a beach since I was two."**_

_**The dirty-blonde haired boy rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Just watch." Turning away, he stripped off his shirt and shorts to reveal black and crimson swimming trunks. Tori marveled at his chiseled physique as he sprinted off, snatching up something from the sand. The surfer watched in wonder as Hunter paddled out into the ocean abyss. Catching a beautiful wave right on its crest, the thunder ranger gracefully rode down the swell of water, carving a path through the shimmering wave. Tori let out a whoop as Hunter coasted to shore, a broad grin splayed across his face, much unlike his usual smirk. The water ranger beamed herself, noticing the smile softened the hard features of his face.**_

_**"The was amazing, Hunter! I never knew you could surf." The crimson ranger looked away shyly.**_

_**"I started taking lessons. " He shrugged sheepishly, "I figured if I learned, we could share a common interest. It could be something we could do together."**_

**_Tori stared, stunned. Hunter had learned how to surf. For her. No guy had done that before, not even Blake.  
_**  
_Just ask the question come untie the knot  
Say you won't care, say you won't care  
Retrace the steps as if we forgot  
Say you won't care, say you won't care _

_Try to avoid it but there's not a doubt  
There's one thing I can do nothing  
There's one thing I can do nothing  
There's one thing I can do nothing about._

Tori lounged on the couch in her apartment, typing out a paper on her laptop. It had been three days since she had sent the letter to Blake. She was snapped from the most interesting subject of the philosophies of Sigmund Freud by the ringing phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey. I got the letter." Tori's heart sank as Blake's melancholy voice floated into her ear. Tori closed her eyes.

"And…?"

Blake hefted a heavy sigh, "I can't say that I'm surprised." He paused, "I mean, with you in Blue Bay, and me in…where ever, you were bound to find someone."

"I'm sorry, Blake. It's just…"

"Yeah, I know. We're not what we used to be. I got that through the letters." The navy ranger scratched his head, "It's Hunter, isn't it."

"How do you know?" Tori furrowed her brow.

"I also got that through the letters." She couldn't remember mentioning _that_ in her letter. Blake continued, "I mean, you constantly mentioning him and vice versa. It's hard to come to terms with, but I just want you to be happy. Maybe this is for the best." He sighed.

"So I guess this is goodbye?" Tori's heart went out to Blake.

"Yeah." The navy ranger murmured. "This is it…well, until I come home."

The water ranger laid the phone in its cradle. She needed to clear her head. Grabbing a jacket, Tori left her apartment and walked to the beach.

_Just ask the question come untie the knot  
Say you won't care Say you won't care  
Retrace the steps as if we forgot  
Say you won't care Say you won't care  
Try to avoid it (try to avoid it) but there's not a doubt  
And there's one thing I can do nothing  
There's one thing I can do nothing  
There's one thing I can do nothing about._

Tori kicked off her shoes and ventured out onto the cool sands, feeling the grains between her toes. The waves crashed onto the shore, the clear blue reminding her of Hunter's eyes. The surfer settled down on the sand to marvel at the beauty that was her haven away from the insanity of time. First, her life crept along as her days encompassed loneliness without Blake. Then, her life shot into overdrive as Tori engrossed herself in studying to forget about Blake. Now…the water ninja had no idea.

"Hey, want some company?" Tori smiled as Hunter draped a blanket around her. Opening the coverlet, the blond allowed the crimson ranger to sit with her. Laying her head against his chest, Tori closed her eyes, enjoying their intimacy. The two rangers locked eyes. Leaning in, she brushed a kiss across his lips. Hunter drew back in surprise.

"What was that for?"

Tori sighed, "Hunter, I need to tell you something."

"Please don't tell me it starts with an I and ends with an L-O-V-E-Y-O-U. " The crimson ranger started weakly.

Tori's brow furrowed in disappointment as she held her distress in check. "Why?"

Hunter swallowed hard, "Because I don't want to betray my brother by feeling the same way."

The breath in her throat stilled, "You…love me?" Hunter's head slowly bobbed up and down. Swiftly, Tori grasped the back of his neck and pulled the crimson ranger down, engulfing Hunter's lips in a kiss that broke down the barriers of passion. Hunter's tongue slipped between her parted lips as their kiss blossomed intimacy. Just as their emotions reached their pinnacle, Hunter broke away.

"Oh, man. I shouldn't have done that. Blake's gonna castrate me, not to mention- " Tori pressed her fingers to Hunter's lips, halting the ranger's flustered ramblings. She gazed into his crystal blue eyes.

"Blake and I broke up this morning. He's okay with us."

Hunter's face registered shock then elation, and he slowly smiled. "So there's an 'us'?"

Tori shot him a look of mock irritation, "There sure as hell better be!" The crimson ranger laughed as he swooped down to capture Tori's lips in a passionate kiss. Time slowed as the pair lost themselves in each other, savoring the sensations.

The two broke apart, desperate for oxygen. Tori laid her head onto Hunter's chest and sighed as he pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead.

"It's kinda weird how we ended up falling for each other." Hunter commented. "I mean, we weren't that close when we were rangers." He looked down at the water ranger's clear blue eyes. "What do you think?"

Tori smiled a gentle smile, "Love is one thing you or I can do nothing about." As the sun ended its descent into the arms of the Pacific Ocean, Tori snuggled into the arms of Hunter Bradley as she finally caught up to the pace of time.

_Try to avoid it but there's not a doubt  
And there's one thing I can do nothing about._

**END…or is it?!**

_Well that's it…for Hunter and Tori anyways. I have an idea that could be a sequel concerning Blake's half of the story. But I'll post it only if you want me to. So read, review, and tell me if you want more!_

_Roxie_


	2. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Wow, thanks for the great reviews. To let everyone know, I have finished the sequel to _In the Strands of Time_ and will be posting soon. This fic is called _Holding on to What Was Lost_, and it is another songfic with Blake and my OC Maxeen as the main characters. I have also finished a Conner/Kira songfic and will post that as well. So keep reviewing and tell me what you think!

_Roxie_

**In Response:**

**Slshadowfox**: Yeah, I totally agree. Blake should have stayed. But think of it this way, had he not gone, we all wouldn't have plot lines for a Hunter/Tori fic…

**KirCo4ever**: Well, thank you for the kind words. I suspect if you liked this story, you will swoon over the Conner/Kira fic I am posting soon.

**YellowCrimsonforever**: Hey, thanks for the review. I love your stories. I was never great at writing slashes, but hey, I don't have to because you've got it covered.

**monkay-pooh**: Dudette, I must say what a huge fan I am of your writing. You are definitely one of my favorite authors here at fanfiction. To have such a great review from you is beyond motivational. Thanks!

**Joritosbabe**: Well thanks for the review. I hope you like the next one about Blake.

**CamFan4ever**: Ah, the first review is always the most uplifting! Thanks for the comment and yes, as you have probably read, I will do a sequel.

So thanks again for the reviews, and stay tuned as Blake gets his own happy ending!


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